I wasn’t crazy about the idea, but we were doing our best to cut expenses. We had just moved to save money on rent, and we had no cellphones, or Internet access, or cable or even call waiting. Our vehicles were a used Prius, a bike and a double stroller. We were wrapping both our babies’ bottoms in cloth diapers and washing them ourselves. After buying food, rent and utilities, we were barely breaking even.

And winter was upon us. So there I would stand in line at the grocery store assembling my WIC items with the correct WIC checks and reminding myself that by harnessing the federal government's money (which is to say, our collective tax dollars) and spending them on groceries at my local grocery store, I was both helping keep grocery baggers employed and making it possible for us to heat that drafty apartment full of babies.

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